And what shall I more say?
For the time would fall on me
to tell of Gideon, and of Barak,
and of Samson, and of Jephthah;
of David also, and Samuel, and of
the prophets: who through faith
subdued kingdoms, wrought rigteousness,
obtained promises, stopped the mouths
of lions, quenched the violence of fire,
escaped the edge of the sword, out of
weakness were made strong, waxed
valiant in fight, turned to flight the
armies of the aliens.
Hebrews 11:32-24
We study the Scripture and find that we have only scratched the surface for there is always more that we can learn. Here in Hebrews chapter eleven we are learning much about faith, especially the faith of those who have gone before us and endured much and yet remained faithful. These examples should cause our faith to grow and our relationship become even closer to God and Jesus than before and that the Holy Spirit guides in all things in ways that He has not been allowed to do before. This rule of faith is by this writer of Hebrews being made clear that even though men may have to endure under weakness have been, and we to also can, by made strong.
The story of Gideon who was an instrument of God who was used to deliver God's people from the oppression of the Midianites, whose faith in God was tested and purified by the reduction of the men of the army to only 300 men and then by those men routed the armies of the Midianites. By this faith his courage was made strong and after this had the excellency of the grace of faith so that he was able to aid others, and also it kept him form thinking highly of himself and for those whom he led. This problem that often comes after God has done great things that we have seen is that we begin to think highly of ourselves, that we are so godly and God is placed in the "back seat" in our glorying.
Barak who was used by God to deliver Israel from the hands of Sisera. His faith taught him to give the praise and glory to God (Judges 5:1-5) and he gave his gratefulness to God for all His mercies and deliverances. We are all familiar with the story about Samson that when he failed and this failure cause him great persecution he returned to God and his faith was used by God to destroy his enemies. What we can learn is that a believer's faith can endure and that true faith is accepted and even in dying gives him victory over death and his enemies. Jepthah delivered Israel form the Ammonites and he kept his vow (Judges 11:30) and acknowledge God in all his ways. So too we also should acknowledge God in all our ways. The grace of faith will make you bold and venturous in all your ways. Faith does more, it paves the way for you to pay your vows to God after you have received mercy from God even though those vows might have caused great grief, hurt, and loss, as was the case with Jepthah and his daughter.
We can think of David, Solomon, Samuel, men raised up by God that even after the stain of sin returned to God and allowed themselves to live the life of faith in God. The prophets employed by God even at times to denounce judgment, sometimes to promote mercy, to reprove sin, sometimes used to foretell remarkable events. It is faith, true Authentic Christian Faith that will enable a man to serve God in whatever way God employs him. This faith will influence others in their walk with God and in their growth in faith.
God through men has given us His promises and by men has shown that by faith God is always present and gives success even if that one is killed he knows that by God and by his faith he has the reward of promise to live forever with God. These men believed God and it was imputed to them for righteousness, and these men walked and acted righteously toward God and man. These men did not look for honor for themselves in fact the opposite is true but this is not the case in so many Churches, in the lives of so many calling themselves Christian for it is a greater honor to work righteousness that to work miracles. It is by faith that will give to us an interest in the promises of God, and it is by faith that we have the comfort of God's promises, and it is by faith that we "wait" (The Hebrew word translated faith is not to sit idly by, rather it is to "wait" with expectation) for the promises of God and for the time to receive God's promises.
We cannot see the unseeable, God Who is a Spirit, a different being than us, but we can see what He has revealed to us, some by faithful men of old, some by our living out Authentic Christian Faith and seeing the work of God in our employment by Him. Are you being employed by God, or, are you simply your own boss? Is your relationship with Him growing deeper and deeper, or has it not changed much in your life? God is faithful so the question for us is: will we be faithful to God? My prayer for me and for you that the answer is yes!
And they said unto them,
Ask counsel, we pray thee,
of God, that we may know
whether our way which we
go shall be prosperous. And the
priest said unto them, Go in
peace: before the LORD is your
way wherein you go.
Judges 18:5-6
May you grow in faith
Richard L. Crumb
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